by Caterina Cerino press officer of Taranto FC
A leading figure speaks in this issue, Francesco Montervino, currently Sports Director of Taranto FC 1927.
Born in 1978 in Taranto, Montervino brings his experience first as a footballer and then as a manager to the Sport Business Academy. A glorious career his, starting from the youth team of Taranto and ending up wearing the captain's armband in Napoli. That same armband worn by the most powerful player in the history of football, el diez, el pibe de oro, Diego Armando Maradona. Taranto's Diesse has always distinguished himself in his career for 'l'arraggia e la cazzimma'. In an interview with Mattino he said: 'The arraggia I always had, the cazzimma I acquired. The technique you can improve, the cazzimma you can't'.. These two characteristics he still carries with him, today as a manager, he is one of the best young sports directors in football. Last season, having tiptoed into Taranto and loaded with responsibility given his origins, he managed to bring Taranto, the team of his city, back into the professional ranks after 29 years. Today, still at the helm of 'his' Taranto, he is demonstrating together with the team he has built and the technical staff how passion, preparation, dedication, and work are fundamental elements in football.
You started your career as a footballer in Taranto and have been its sporting director for two years. Would you have thought of doing this in your city when you grew up?
When I started playing football I didn't think about what I would do after my career as a footballer, seeing myself as Sports Director in my hometown somewhat surprises me but at the same time makes me proud.
Your career saw you for many years in Naples as captain what do you always take with you from those years?
Of the years in Naples I take everything with me! They were the most important years of my career, they were the years that saw me as captain of one of the 20 most important teams in Europe, so for me every single day is an indelible memory. I bring with me a wealth of experience from managing a club that had six million fans worldwide.
You are a director who focuses a lot on young people, do you think our youth sectors are still in a developmental stage compared to those abroad?
I believe a lot in the Youth Sector. In order for the first teams to be able to bring out players from the youth sector, I think something should be changed at the regulatory level, that something could be to oblige clubs to focus on and invest in the youth sector. Without a doubt, compared to other countries, we are far behind, just look at what is happening in Holland, Belgium, not to mention Spain, France and England. In Italy we are at least 10 or even 20 years behind. The growth and physical-cognitive work, which a young non-Italian footballer has, is completely different from ours. We are good at reaching the same level/goal, even with the first teams, because I believe that culturally the mentality of a young Italian player is one of competitiveness from the start. We are probably more ready than the other European youth sectors, but technically and at a cognitive level we always arrive late.
Incidentally, you have also been a lecturer for several years at the Sport Business Academy for various training courses, what do you like about this role of yours?
As a lecturer at the Sport Business Academy, I like to bring my experiences, my nature, I like to convey to the young people who listen to me in the classroom, what the reality of things is. I am much more into practice than theory, what I do during my lectures is simply to bring back experiences. This comes easy to me as I have had a career as a footballer at a high level, which allows me to understand what a footballer is thinking. Having also been a coach, a scout and a director, I have experience in various fields so when I go to speak to the young people who participate in our courses, I bring them the practical side of the subjects they study.
Your final thoughts on the upcoming football market window and your Taranto...
If I have to make a thought about our market window, we are a club with a lot of prestige but at the same time we don't have the possibility to make a big market, so, as always, I will try to improve the quality of our team while trying not to create problems for the club's coffers. I will try to raise the level without spending.
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